Crutch with adjustable handgrip



Feb. 16, 1954 GREENE ET L 2,669,244

CRUTCH WITH ADJUSTABLE HANDGRIP Filed April 8, 1952 .Fjz'g. 2.

INVENTORS CHAeLEs G GREENE, CLARENCE VCJ-OHNSON;

' ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 16, 1954 OFFICE Y CRUTCH WITH ADJUSTABLE HANDGRIP Charles C. Greene and Clarence V. Johnson, Yates Center, Kans.

Application April 8, 1952, Serial No. 281,075

1 Claim.

Our "invention relates to crutches having handgrips which may be adjusted toward and from the armlrests.

One object of the invention is to provide an unproved crutch with a handgrip which maybe quickly and easily adjusted without the use of any tool and which is composed of few and simple parts.

Another object is to provide in a lightweight metal crutch, an adjustable handgrip in which the body portion is made of wood or other nonmetallic material, and its other parts will serve to strengthen and rigidly space the resilient side bars of the crutch.

Another object is to provide a device of this character which is strong, durable and relatively inexpensive.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention resides in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts and the novel features of construction hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which show the present preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a crutch embodying our invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail longitudinal section taken on line 3-3 in Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 3.

Referring more in detail to the drawings the numeral I denotes as a whole the body of the crutch which may be variously constructed but includes two laterally spaced and somewhat resilient side bars or arms H. The upper ends of the parallel bars ll may be connected by any suitable arm rest l2 while their lower ends converge downwardly and are united to a straight leg portion l3. While .the latter may be a single piece of any suitable length with a suitable elastic anti-slip cap or tip I4 at its lower end, we preferably make it of a plurality of separable and longitudinally extensible sections as disclosed in our application Serial No. 281,076, filed April 8, 1952, in order to adapt the crutch for use by children as well as adults.

On the opposed faces of the side bars H are longitudinally extending rows of opposed seats I 5 which are preferably equally spaced and sufiicient in number to enable a handgrip, generally designated l B, to be adjusted toward or from the top or arm rest I2 to enable the crutch to be used by persons of all ages. When the side bars are made of solid material such as wood or plastic, the seats I5 may be sockets or depressions, but as shown the bars are made tubular and of a light weight metal such as aluminum or an alloy, and the seats are in the form of holes or openings.

The handgrip comprises a generally cylindrical body I! from the ends of which project rigid axially disposed pins l3 adapted to engage a pair of the opposed seats or openings Hi. The outer ends of the pins are spaced from each other a distance slightly greater than the normal spacing of the opposed faces of the side bars so that the latter must be sprung apart to enable the pins to engage a pair of the opposed seats or openings.

In order to move the side bars ll toward and from each other to cause engagement and disengagement of the pins and openings, and in order to lock the pins in the opening and rigidly hold the side bars against the ends of the handgrip, we provide right and left hand screw threaded connections between the side bars and the ends of the handgrip. These connections include bands I9 which surround and slide on the bars ll, screw members 20 which are carried by the bands, and coacting screw portions or members 2| which are on the ends of the handgrip. The screw members 20 are preferably in the form of sockets with internal screw threads 23 while the screw members 2| are preferably in the form of externally screw threaded sleeves or ferrules 24 fixed to the ends of the handgrip when the body portion of it is made of wood, a plastic or other non-metallic material. The ferrules 24 are cylindrical to fit on reduced end portions 25 of the body l1 against shoulders 26, and their screw threads are on outer reduced portions as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. The axially extending pins l8 are in sockets 2'! formed in the reduced ends 25, and in order to fasten the pins in their sockets and the ferrules on said ends 25, transverse fastenings 28 such as rivets or bolts are passed through alined openings in the pins, body and ferrules, as shown in Fig. 2. The bands I9 and sockets 20 are integrally formed of metal, and are so proportioned that when the handgrip is rotated in one direction the right and left hand threads at the ends of the handgrip will cause the socket members 20 to move away from each other and such movement will cause the side bars II to be sprung away from each other and the pins l8 will be thus disengaged from the openings l5. When the parts are in the last mentioned position, the handgrip may be slid longitudinally along the side bars to aline the pins with the desired pair of opposed openings l5. Then the handgrip is rotated in the opposite direction to cause the screw connections to draw the bars ll toward each other and cause the pins to enter the desired openings. Further movement in the last mentioned direction will draw the bars ll tight against the ends of the handgrip. The latter when tightened will hold the resilient side bars I I rigidly spaced apart and provide a strong and safe crutch.

From the foregoing, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it will be seen that novel and advantageous provision has been made for carrying out the objects of the invention, and

while preferences have been disclosed, attentlzm;

is invited to the possibility of makin variations within the scope of the invention as claimed.v

We claim: In a crutch, spaced tubular metal side bars having rows of opposed openings spaced longitu- 4 beyond and engaged with a pair of opposed openings in the bars, ferrules on said reduced end portion of said body and having external screw threaded portions, the threads on one ferrule being righthand and those on the other lefthand, transverse fastenings extending respectively through said ferrules, body and pins to secure said ferrules and pins to said body, bands surrounding said bars and slidable' longitudinally therealong, and sockets rigid with said bands and internally screw threaded and engaged with the screw threaded portions of said ferrules, whereby rotation of said, handgrip will spring said bars References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED srrATEs PATENTS Nurnber Name Date 254,348 Maine Feb. 28, 1882 1,209,997 Pettingill Dec, 26, 1916 

